By Kostas Onisenko
The Patriarch of Moscow, in a statement made before the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Church of Russia, stressed that no one can get infected with the coronavirus through the Holy Communion.
This is the first time after the pandemic that the Holy Synod meets in the physical presence of the participants and not by teleconference.
“We do not question in any case the healing power of the Sacred Mysteries of Christ! And the proof is the fact that, after the Communion, our deacons catalyze the Eucharist from a common vessel and none of them got sick and is not going to get sick.
And where there are no deacons, priests do it, including your unworthy Patriarch and Prelate, when he performs the Divine Liturgy in his own temple of Christ.
And some parishioners commune after the Divine Liturgy – as I perform the Divine Liturgy without a deacon, I catalyze the Holy Communion without any doubt, with complete confidence that I commune with the Body and Blood of Christ, we commune with a great sanctuary, which is not subject to infection, no harm… ”.
It is worth noting, however, that the Russian Church clarified that Patriarch Kirill has been vaccinated against the coronavirus since March, while during the pandemic more than 100 priests have lost their lives due to this disease.